Feeling bad about your bike light?

[AndrewJ]

Well, here it is.
I just know all of you were feeling guilty about using all those batteries and grid power to fire up your bike light, so here's your solution.

Solar powered bike headlight.

If only they'd make one that had enough juice for my liking. I might get one though, it would make a nice front flasher.

[MetroMPG]

Well, I wasn't until you reminded me!

I did get a replacement front blinkie in my Xmas stocking. Unfortunately it's the evil battery-powered type.

[roflwaffle]

Those hand crank LED dynamos offa eh4y look cool as hell, I just wish I knew how bright they were.

[AndrewJ]

Are the google ads in the OP a legit thing? Just making sure my link didn't make that happen somehow...
Kinda threw me off when I saw them.

[MetroMPG]

They're legit. Not fully tweaked, but legit.

[basjoos]

What's wrong with the old tire-driven generators they used to have on bikes to power the lights? They added some wheel drag and made a bit of a whine when running, but they were muscle powered with no batteries or grid power required. Can't get any greener then that.

[DifferentPointofView]

I was thinking about that. Why don't they make an EV with the same type of Generator to charge the Batteries instead of "it'll charge in a month" solar panels?

[AndrewJ]

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

I was thinking about that. Why don't they make an EV with the same type of Generator to charge the Batteries instead of "it'll charge in a month" solar panels?

They do make those type of EV's they're the ones with Regenerative braking.

Unfortunately, you can't fully re-charge an EV using the kinetic energy that the batteries created. Doing so would create a perpetual-motion machine. If you do that, bad things happen: tearing of the space-time continuum, gross violations of the laws of physics, that kind of thing.


Also, back on the subject of bike lights, those little bottle-generators are usually cheap junk, there are still a few companies that make decent ones, but they're kinda hard to find. I've been interested in cobbling together some sort of LED light system that runs of a generator hub. Both bottle-generators and hub-generators put out 6v, 3w.
3 watts isn't much when you're trying to be seen amongst bunches of 50w car headlights.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

...Unfortunately, you can't fully re-charge an EV using the kinetic energy that the batteries created. Doing so would create a perpetual-motion machine. If you do that, bad things happen: tearing of the space-time continuum, gross violations of the laws of physics, that kind of thing.

Don't forget "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria" - Bill Murray, Gostbusters

[montanaWill]

The magnetic induction approach seems like the best way to power a bike light. I haven't yet tried it myself though. Here's one way to do it:

Magnetic Induction Bike Lights (Mod)